Dollarway administrators take ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Dollarway administrators take ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Dollarway Superintendent Bobby Acklin reacts as students dump a bucket of ice water on him Thursday. The movement to support the ALS Association has become popular this summer. Pine Bluff Commercial/David Hutter

By David HutterOF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge came to Dollarway High School Thursday afternoon, with students cheering on two administrators.

The movement raises awareness and money for ALS Association. People who are challenged can choose to donate $100 to the ALS Association in place of being doused with ice water.

Dollarway School District athletic director Lee Hardman said he issued the challenge to Superintendent Bobby Acklin, Assistant Superintendent Melvin Bryant, Coach Ellis Berry and Coach Cortez Lee. Hardman said he took the proverbial plunge earlier in the summer after a football player challenged him to do so.

With a temperature in the upper 90s, students gathered in a circle at the high school. A select group of students dumped a bucket of ice water over Acklin, Bryant and Pine Bluff Alderman Steven Mays. But Berry and Lee did not accept Hardman’s challenge yet.

“I love my students and they love me,” Acklin said.

Acklin passed the proverbial baton onto Pine Bluff Superintendent Linda Watson and White Hall Superintendent Larry Smith. Reached later in the day, Pine Bluff School District director of communications Kenetta Ridgell said that Watson did not know that Acklin would call her name. Nonetheless, Ridgell said Watson will happily donate $100 to the ALS Association in place of being doused.

Reached in response to Acklin’s request, Smith laughed when he was informed that Acklin called his name. While ALS research is worthy, Smith said he has already paid his dues.

“I did mine after cutting the grass last week,” Smith said. “… Bobby Acklin and I are in neighboring school districts. But he is a day late and a dollar short.”

Bryant accepted the dousing and celebrated with the students. He challenged Watson Chapel Superintendent Danny Hazelwood to do the ice bucket challenge. A phone call made to Hazelwood on Thursday afternoon was not returned by press time.

“This is a very worthwhile cause,” Bryant said shortly before being doused.

Mays said he accepted the challenge to support Tommy May, the former chairman and CEO of Simmons First National Corp. and Simmons First National Bank. Mays issued the challenge to Dollarway student athletes.